The invention concerns a procedure and a device for bright annealing of metallic work pieces in a bright annealing furnace with a connected cooling line using nitrogen as the protective gas.
In bright annealing furnaces for work pieces of steel, iron or non-ferrous metals, the work pieces are annealed under protective gas. Either exogas or nitrogen is used as protective gas. In the case of using nitrogen, liquid nitrogen is evaporated in an air evaporator and introduced at several locations in the annealing furnace and the cooling line, similar to the procedure using the exogas. Hereby the valuable cold of the liquid nitrogen is lost without being utilized.